New Delhi, Jan 27: The Election Commission tonight issued notices to recognised political parties in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh taking cognisance of a “sting operation” which allegedly showed aspiring candidates of various parties seeking money from corporates for meeting their election expenditures.

The EC also asked the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the state and the Income Tax investigations wing in Lucknow to file complaints and conduct probe against the persons who were shown in the sting operation aired by a TV channel yesterday.

The EC asked the I-T department to probe the source of any “bribe” funds entailed in the incident.

“It was telecast (in the sting) that such persons, aspiring to be candidates from various political parties, have admitted that their election expenditure will be between Rs one to three crores which includes expense in the name of dummy candidates, liquor for the electors and other expenses.

Sources, however, said the people shown in the video have not filed their nominations for the polls.

“The Commission has taken a serious note of the contents of this sting operation and called for the transcript,” the EC said in its notice.

The EC, after going through the transcript of the tape of the undated sting operation, has asked the District Electoral Officers to file complaints against the persons involved “in such acts of offence.”

The EC asked all the political parties, whose functionaries are named in the sting operation, to inquire into matter.

A senior I-T officer, in know of the development, said the EC has asked the department to further step up its vigil and curb all instances of illegal cash movement in the state.

“If any person raises funds in cash as mentioned in the sting operation, the Income Tax department has been alerted to deal with such donors firmly and investigate about the source of such bribe money,” the EC notice said.